Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
> BBC mulls dropping Flash as iPlayer meets iPhone
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Streams still outnumber downloads by about eight to one, though that
>| dominance is expected by Highfield to be reduced in coming months. About 70
>| per cent of downloads are watched, Rose said.
> `----
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/20/iplayer_flash_iphone/
>
> One interpretation of this story was that they were "dropping Flash for
> *something else*, presumably in-house technology, for the sake of efficiency."
>
> So here we have:
>
> 1. Proof that streaming without DRM is far more successful
> 2. The fact that the BBC is spying on viewers (nice!)
> 3. BBC considers changing a service that is 8 times more popular
>
> [sarcasm] Is it possible that the folks at Redmond made a phonecall because
> they want to "f**king kill Adobe"? Truly, the BBC needs to be shut down or
> something. Or at least make attempts to learn, such as this:
Mr Highfield is desperate to show that Microsoft didn't take him, and
£130 millions of our cash, for a ride. It did, of course, but he's not
going to admit that in a hurry.
>
> More on the BBC meeting
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| I also sat down and ran him through the Ubuntu desktop, showing it off,
>| demonstrating some applications, and he seemed quite impressed with how it
>| worked. I also explained some of the benefits of the Linux desktop in terms
>| of reliability, security, viruses etc.
> `----
>
> http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1138
My experience shows that it takes 4-6 attempts of explaining new
concepts to people in order for them to stick. Not simple ones, but
ideas with multiple dependencies which require people to reset many of
their assumptions. This was the /first/ go. Or perhaps the second.
>
> There's also this:
>
> Channel 4 music video provider goes titsup
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Musicbrigade, a Swedish company that provided websites including Channel4.com
>| with music video content, has gone titsup.com.
> `----
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/20/musicbrigade_channel_4_byebye/
>
Not so much money in this after all, then...
>
> Related:
>
> Microsoft forbids free Xbox content
>
> ,----[ Quote
>| Tim Sweeney disclosed how Microsoft is barring their efforts to
>| offer free content for owners of Gears of War. Guys from Epic
>| created six maps (two of which have been released to gamers)
>| for this hit-title which earned Microsoft millions of dollars,
>| but now Epic cannot release the remaining four maps. Reason is
>| very simple: money.
> `----
>
> http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38823
>
>
> XBLA's Ross Erickson leaves Microsoft, heads over to Sierra Online
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Of course, this follows XBLA General Manager Greg Canessa's
>| departure a couple weeks back. While having two of the most
>| senior Xbox Live Arcade execs jump ship in a two week time
>| span after a particularly long string of subpar Wednesdays
>| -- nothing, Ms. Pac-Man, Lumines add-on, nothing, Root Beer
>| Tapper, Paperboy, nothing -- might seem to imply certain
>| disaster, Ross insisted that he and Greg's decided to
>| leave under entirely different circumstances.
> `----
>
> http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/20/xblas-ross-erickson-leaves-microsoft-heads-over-to-sierra-onli/
> http://tinyurl.com/25s6he
>
>
> XBLA main man jumps ship
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| In somewhat surprising news, Greg Canessa, the big guy behind
>| Xbox Live Arcade, has left the Microsoft compound for PopCap Games.
> `----
>
> http://www.destructoid.com/xbla-main-man-jumps-ship-29716.phtml
>
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| It's weird that Mini and all the commenters here have failed to notice the
>| mass exodus from the Xbox team in 2007. By my count, more than 15% of the
>| product team (dev/PM/test) have left Microsoft for Apple, Sony, Google,
>| Yahoo, MySpace, Amazon, and various other companies (including several
>| startups, local and in the Valley).
Oooohhhh....
>
> Related:
>
> iPlayer coming to Macs... but no word on Linux
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Highlighting the marginal Linux audience is a risky move for Thomson, after
>| his director of future media and technology, Ashley Highfield, got himself
>| into hot water with open-source advocates last year by declaring the BBC
>| website had only 400-600 Linux users every week.
> `----
>
> http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/163722/iplayer-coming-to-macs-but-no-word-on-linux.html
>
>
> BBC to put shows on iTunes 'next week'
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Worldwide services are distinct from the BBC iPlayer, which offers programmes
>| broadcast in the last seven days online for free. Ashley Highfield, the man
>| with ultimate responsibility for the BBC's online efforts, has indicated
>| iPlayer will be available via the AppleTV set-top box, however.
> `----
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/15/bbc_worldwide_itunes/
>
>
> Status Quo: Can't watch the news in Linux
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| As you can see, we had one site that improved (CBS News) and one site that
>| has actually gotten worse (BBC News). Congratulations to CBS news for joining
>| the 21-century. I am not sure what to say about BBC News. Apparently, the BBC
>| is now using a new video player called the "BBC iPlayer", which only supports
>| Microsoft Windows operating systems. Because of this, there was a lot of
>| controversy about the highly restricted player, including this petition.
> `----
>
> http://useopensource.blogspot.com/2008/01/status-quo-cant-watch-news-in-linux.html
>
>
> BBC Director General grilled by MPs on iPlayer
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| During the meeting there is discussion of iPlayer?s total cost to the licence
>| fee-payer - the BBC representatives are unable to give a figure, but start
>| the bidding at £20m, excluding staff costs. Thomson gives incorrect
>| information - that Mac and Linux versions of iPlayer have the same
>| functionality as Windows versions - and has to change his evidence at the
>| end. Perhaps it was this confusion that prompted Dr John Pugh MP to follow up
>| the encounter with a letter direct to Mark Thomson today discussing platform
>| neutrality in greater detail. A copy of this letter has been passed to the
>| Open Rights Group.
> `----
>
> http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/01/10/bbc-director-general-grilled-by-mps-on-iplayer/
>
>
> BBC Corrupted
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Today the BBC made it official -- they have been corrupted by Microsoft. With
>| today's launch of the iPlayer, the BBC Trust has failed in its most basic of
>| duties and handed over to Microsoft sole control of the on-line distribution
>| of BBC programming. From today, you will need to own a Microsoft operating
>| system to view BBC programming on the web. This is akin to saying you must
>| own a Sony TV set to watch BBC TV. And you must accept the Digital
>| Restrictions Management (DRM) that the iPlayer imposes. You simply cannot be
>| allowed to be in control of your computer according to the BBC.
> `----
>
> http://defectivebydesign.org/blog/BBCcorrupted
>
>
> BBC iPlayer Protests
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Who are the people responsible for creating this mess?
>|
>| * Mark Thompson, BBC director general (DG)
>| * Erik Huggers, group controller at BBC Future Media & Technology
>| * Ashley Highfield, director of new media and technology
>|
>| Right now, there is very considerable concern within the BBC that the actions
>| of the Director General and his team are sending the corporation in the wrong
>| direction. The BBC has been embroiled in a number of recent controversies,
>| all linked back to the DG's leadership.
> `----
>
> http://www.defectivebydesign.org/iPlayerProtest
>
>
> Why Linux Users Should Be Furious At BBC
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Recently the BBC had a bit of a wake up call regarding numbers and how many
>| Linux users were really out there. Why does any of this matter? It has to do
>| with something the BBC provides called the iPlayer. Seriously, relying on
>| ActiveX is so "1990's" that it's painful, and as luck would have it, the
>| Linux users who wish to use this BBC player made sure that the BBC knew that
>| they were making the sought after content inaccessible to those people using
>| Linux.
>|
>| No iPlayer for Linux Users, But There Will Be An Alternative. Based on what I
>| have been able to gather thus far, it looks like we will see an Adobe Flash
>| option coming out soon. Then again, who really cares? Seriously, if the BBC
>| is this foolish to ignore how much Linux growth is taking place both in the
>| UK as well as the surrounding countries, then maybe people ought to be
>| looking elsewhere? Is it because this is indeed, the BBC? So there is the
>| belief that this is the people's media? Up until now, I enjoyed much of what
>| the BBC had to offer, but this entire thing is enough to have pushed me away.
> `----
>
> http://www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2731&Itemid=449
>
>
> Beeb slammed for 'fawning' to Bill Gates
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| BBC viewers have flooded the corporation with complaints over how it
>| covered the launch of Microsoft Vista earlier this week.
>|
>| In one cringingly servile interview worthy of Uriah Heep, the
>| Beeb's news presenter Hugh Edwards even thanked Gates at the
>| end of it, presumably in appreciation at being allowed to give
>| the Vole vast coverage for free.
>|
>| In other TV news items presenters excitedly explained how Vistac
>| ould be obtained and installed - details courtesy of the BBC's
>| website.
>|
>| But British viewers, currently forced to pay a £131.50 licence
>| fee to maintain the BBC's "impartiality", were less than impressed.
>|
>| Scores got in touch to complain that so much was Auntie up Bill's
>| bum that you could barely see her corset.
> `----
>
> http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37411
>
>
> http://slated.org/bbc_microsoft_bias
>
>
> BBC: Death by a thousand top-slices
>
> ,----[ Quoet ]
>| So it looks like the end of the unique, state-centric model for funding the
>| BBC. An incoming Conservative administration is unlikely to be more
>| sympathetic to the BBC, with its stifling bureucracy and monopoly control
>| over a compulsory tax.
> `----
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/18/bbc_top_slicing/
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/ |
| Cola trolls: http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/ |
| My (new) blog: http://www.thereisnomagic.org |
|
|
